The Difference between Fire and Ice
by Violet2389
Summary: What if Edward hadn't been in the tent with Bella and Jacob that night before the newborn battle? What if Bella had allowed Edward to fight instead? What would have really happened in the tent that night? Bella/Jacob, MA content. Please R&R
1. Chapter 1

**What if Edward hadn't been in the tent with Bella and Jacob that night before the newborn battle? What if Bella had allowed Edward to fight instead? What would have **_**really **_**happened in the tent that night? Bella/Jacob, MA content, one shot. Please R&R**

The Difference between Fire and Ice

I lay in the sleeping bag shivering. It was blizzarding outside which didn't make sense. Forks was known for having dreary weather, but snow? In June? It didn't make sense.

Jake was sitting at the other end of the tent…shirtless. I had told him he couldn't come closer to me. I knew what he would try with me, especially because Edward wasn't here to stop him. I would pretty much be defenseless against him. He could try anything.

"Bella, will you _please_ let me lay there with you?" he asked. "You're going to freeze to death."

"No J-J-J-Jacob." My teeth were chattering so hard I thought they'd break. "I know w-w-w-what you're g-g-g-going t-t-t-to t-t-t-try."

"Bella, you're going to get frost bite or hypothermia. Please let me keep you warm."

"J-j-just g-get m-m-me another b-blanket." I said stubbornly.

"You won't be able to stop me." he said. "I'm not going to let you die out here!"

He crawled over to me, he couldn't stand to his full height or his head would go right through the top of the tent, and unzipped the sleeping bag. I gasped as the cold hair hit me, but the cold air was soon replaced with Jacob's werewolf warmth. Contrary to what I wanted to do-which was to try and shove him out of the sleeping bag-I sighed in contentment. Jake was so warm, it was unbelievable.

"You'll be sweating by the time you wake up." He chuckled, putting his arms around me.

"Jake, you're so warm." I said quietly.

"_He_ could never do this for you." he whispered. "I'm fire…he's ice. Please, let me _show_ you the difference, Bells."

"Don't do this." I said. "_Please_, Jacob, don't do this."

"So you're going to deny your own feelings?" he demanded angrily. "You love me, Bella. We both know it."

"Jacob…" I whispered.

"Let me show you the difference between us." He whispered. "With me, it would be easier than breathing. You wouldn't have to worry about getting your blood drained every time we kiss. You wouldn't have to change for me, Bella."

"Jake, please stop this." I said. "I'm with him."

"You're with someone who wants to suck the life out of you!" he growled.

"Who says I don't want that?" I asked. "I want to change…I want to be like him."

"You don't know what you're doing." He insisted. "You don't realize the life that you're throwing away."

"I know what I'm doing." I said. "I know exactly what I'm doing with my life. I want to be with him forever."

"Bella, you won't even think to try anything else! He has you on such a short leash that you're scared to try. I hate to say this to you, but I know he's your first love…maybe first isn't always the best choice."

"I love him." I insisted. "I don't _need_ to try anything else."

"You love me too, and you won't give me a chance." He said.

My breath caught in my throat as I realized that he was right. Jacob was right. I should see what my options were before sealing my fate with Edward. I looked up at Jake, and I could see how much he wanted me to agree with him. He wanted me to give him a shot.

Could I? Was it wrong to love both of them? How could I be sure that I loved one, without seeing how it was with the other one? How could I do that to Jake?

He leaned close to me, our mouths merely inches apart. He looked at me, asking with his eyes if that was okay. I nodded, and his lips connected with mine softly.

I broke away from him quickly. "Jacob, it's wrong."

"Please, Bella." He whispered. "Can't you see how much I love you? Can't you see how much you mean to me? I don't want to see you die! He's going to take your life, don't you see that?"

"He doesn't want to turn me." I muttered. "He wants me to stay human, but I want to be like him. Can't _you _see that?"

"So you'd rather turn into a monster?" he demanded. "What is wrong with me, Bella? What is it? Tell me now."

"There's nothing wrong with you, Jake." I said. "It's just he's…I don't know. He's different, ya know? I love him."

"You love me too." He accused. "You just don't want to admit it. He knows it too, Bella. He knows that you could leave him at any moment for me. He would let you go. He wants you to be happy. I know you well enough, Bells; I know that you aren't entirely happy with him. When _they _left and you came to me, I've never seen you happier. Charlie noticed it too. He saw a difference in everything about you. And now, since they've come back, you've been completely different. You used to smile when you saw me…now it's like you're scared that _he's_ going to find out that we were just hanging out. Please Bella, don't be stubborn. Please, let me show you how different he and I are."

His mouth connected with mine again, and this time I didn't stop it. I didn't break away from him…and I didn't punch him in the jaw as I had once before when he kissed me.

Our mouths moved with each other slowly and softly. There was no urgency in this kiss, it was just slow passion…and love.

His tongue traced my bottom lip, silently asking for access to my mouth. I opened my mouth against his and our tongues danced with one another.

During our kiss, I had some sort of vision of my life with Jacob. I could clearly see two, maybe three, children with raven black hair running around a front lawn. I could see Jake and me, sitting together, watching over our children. He had his arms safely wrapped around me, and we were happy and smiling. A future with Jake would be warm and happy…a future with Edward would be cold and scary.

Jake's hands found the zipper of my jacket, and unzipped it. With our mouths still connected, I slid out of the jacket, and Jake began working on the numerous layers of clothing I had on. Finally he got to the thin tank top I had on, and he slipped it off of me. He helped me get out of the warm sweatpants I was wearing and soon I was just in my bra and panties in front of him. You'd think I'd be freezing cold, or embarrassed to be like this, but I wasn't. I was comfortable with Jake.

I always would be.

I helped him out of his running shorts and he was fully on display for me. My eyes widened slightly at his size, but his mouth slipped my bra away from my chest and his tongue circling around my hardened nipple distracted me. My back arched in pleasure, and I closed my eyes.

"You're beautiful." He whispered.

I felt my skin flush, but that didn't stop Jake. He slid my panties off of me, and bent his head down to my heated core. He took one long lick of my wet folds and smiled up at me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

I nodded.

"It might hurt." He said. "But I'll be careful with you, I promise."

I nodded. "Okay."

He moved a bit so he was positioned at my centre. I bit my lip, anticipating the sharp pain that was sure to come from this. I grasped his shoulders, and closed my eyes. In a second the pain came and gone, and was soon replaced with pleasure. He paused slightly to allow me to adjust to his size, before proceeding to slowly move inside of me. Jake and I moved together, finding our own rhythm.

I realized now everything Jake had been saying to me. He was right. I should have given him a chance. He could_ be_ with me without hurting me. As we both reached our orgasms, I cried out and held onto him, feeling so connected with him that it was unbelievable.

He slid out of me, breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?" he asked, voice husky.

I nodded.

"I love you, Bella." He whispered.

"I love you too, Jake." I whispered.

He enveloped me in his arms and I fell asleep on his shoulder, not worrying about what tomorrow would bring.


	2. Chapter 2: Fight

Have you ever been speeding down a highway, and been unable to tear your eyes away from a ten car pile-up? That's how I felt now. I couldn't tear my eyes away from what was happening right in front of me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't pull my eyes away.

They were fighting each other, and it was my fault. I didn't want either of them to win…because I knew it would end up costing the other one their life. My attempts to end their fighting had been in vain. Even when I had yelled and screamed for them to stop, they completely ignored me. I knew that they were fighting because of what had happened between Jacob and me in the tent the other night…and there was nothing I could do to stop them.

When a vampire and a werewolf were fighting each other, there wasn't much you, as a human, could do to stop it. All you could really do was sit on the sidelines and watch and wait. I stared, unsure of who would come out of this victorious. Either way, I knew that I would be upset. I knew that no matter what happened; it wouldn't make me happy. They were fighting for my love…they were fighting for _me _and yet somehow, I couldn't be happy.

Edward was fighting out of jealousy and hatred. He now had a pure hatred for Jacob, as Jacob hadn't even attempted to keep Edward from reading his thoughts. Edward was no only taking his feelings into account, and not even thinking about me. He hadn't even asked for what _I_ thought…when he found out what Jacob and I had done, he had practically dragged me out to La Push with him to see Jacob.

Jacob, my dear Jacob, was fighting for my life…literally. He knew that after I married Edward I would be turned into a vampire…and he didn't want that.

Did I want that? Now that I really thought about it, I could see the mistake I was making. I was throwing away my whole life for the only man I had ever been with. I didn't even know what my true options were.

People are supposed to have children, age, have grandchildren, maybe even great grandchildren if they're lucky, and die. People are supposed to live long, healthy lives, and move forward. People aren't supposed to keep repeating, over and over and over again.

I stared down at my left hand, where the engagement ring given to me by Edward lay on my ring finger. I stared at the ring that once belonged to Edward's mother, Elizabeth Mason, for a very long time, before sliding it off my finger and putting it on the ground beside me.

As I turned away from their fighting…all the while fighting my own inner battle…fighting away the tears that threatened to spill over my eyelids…I walked away. I didn't hear them stop fighting, and I had no idea if they had stopped or not.

I couldn't bear to see Edward attempt to tear apart Jacob…my Jacob, my sunshine…the man I truly loved. Jacob was the man I truly did love. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Jacob was who I truly belonged with. Jacob was the man I could see myself walking down the aisle to…I could see myself having children with Jacob.

A future with Jacob looked warm and happy, whereas a future with Edward looked cold, bleak and boring. A future with Edward looked repetitive. I didn't want that. I didn't want to have to go to college or university numerous amounts of time through my life. I wanted new things to happen to me, not the same things over and over again. I didn't want to have to go through the same stages of my life more than once.

Edward couldn't give that to me. Jacob could. Jacob could give me anything I wanted, and I didn't mean material things like cars and clothes. Jacob could give me a real life, a life that I wouldn't have to hide from my family. I wouldn't have to fake my death to be with Jacob, I wouldn't have to watch from a distance as my family died. I could give my parents grandchildren. I wanted to be able to celebrate holidays and birthdays with my family, and not just the family I would be marrying into. Sure the Cullens were lovely people, and threw marvelous parties, but I knew that I truly didn't belong with them. I knew that it wasn't my destiny to be with them forever. I wasn't meant to spend the rest of my life as a part of the Cullen clan. I was meant to remain human, as everyone was.

Edward and his family were against nature. They weren't meant to be on the planet. Although Jacob was a werewolf, he didn't choose this lifestyle. It was natural through his bloodline, and it was against his control. Carlisle had made a choice for each of the Cullens to turn them, and that wasn't natural. They should have died when they were on the edge of death. It was wrong for the Cullens to even exist.

As I walked through the forest, going to the house I had spent numerous times a child in, I contemplated my life. I knew that Edward would be the easier choice. He could give me any material item in the world. Jacob, however, was the better choice for me. I knew that Jacob could and would give me the things that I truly needed in life. Jacob could give me anything that Edward could not. He could give me the things that were actually important in life. Things like children…grandchildren for Charlie and Renee and Billy. Edward would never be able to give me children, and I knew that. I knew that that would never be a possibility in our life together.

The other night in the tent, I had already made up my mind. That night I changed my destiny forever. That night I chose Jacob Black over Edward Cullen. I was now meant to be with Jacob. Ever since we were little, I had a feeling that our parents knew that we would ultimately end up together.

I was ninety-nine percent sure Jacob had imprinted on me. The way he looked at me, talked to me, and held me were all tell-tale signs that he had in fact imprinted on me. He hadn`t told me yet, but I was pretty sure that it had happened. I didn`t want to come right out and ask him, he would tell me when he felt that the time was right. I knew that he didn`t want to scare me or anything, but I was ready for it. I was ready for Jacob to admit his feelings for me. I wanted to show him that I was capable of loving him. I was ready for him. I wanted to be with Jacob for the rest of my life. Jacob and I were meant to be together, the more I thought about it, the more I knew that it was true.

I walked up the front steps of his house, and knocked on his front door. I wasn't exactly sure why I was knocking. I mean, Billy had told me numerous times that I could come over whenever I wanted, but I still felt the need to knock anyway. I thought it was kind of rude not to knock. I thought that he might get angry with me or something.

After a few minutes, Billy still hadn't answered the door. I sighed, and pulled the key Jacob had given me to his house and unlocked the door. The house was silent when I went in, and I figured that Billy and Charlie had just gone out for the day. I _think _that Charlie had said something about that to me this morning before he had left the house. This made me feel less guilty about breaking into the Black house.

I went to Jacob's room, and waited for him on his bed. From where I was sitting I had a clear view outside through his window, and I nervously watched for him. I had no idea what shape he would come back here in. Would he even come back? Who knew what Edward could and most likely would do to him? I began chewing on my fingernails, a nervous habit that I couldn't seem to shake, and stared out the window waiting for him to come back.

If he didn't come back…what would I do? I would never be able to look at Edward again.

And then, a thought that truly terrified me entered my mind…how would I tell Billy? I couldn't even begin to imagine how that conversation would go. I was terrified of just the mentality of trying to tell Billy what had happened to his son, and that it had happened because of me.

Finally, just as I was about to lose hope, I saw Jacob walking up his driveway. It felt as though all the stress had just fallen away from my body. It felt as though a huge weight had just been lifted off of my shoulders. He looked as though he had gone through hell, but he was still alive and walking okay. He was still alive. That was all that really mattered to me. If he was injured, he would heal. Jacob was alive.

I ran to the front door to greet him. I flung the door open and ran into his arms. At first he seemed surprised that I was there, and hesitated before putting his arms around me. He held me, and for some reason I burst into tears. It just seemed so surreal that he had actually survived and made it out of that fight with Edward…Jacob was holding me in his arms while I bawled my eyes out as if I was a baby.

"Bella, it's okay." He soothed. "Don't cry." He shifted his arm a bit in a way that I knew it was hurting him. Immediately I broke away from him.

"I'm sorry." I sputtered. "I didn't mean to hurt you…Jacob I'm so sorry. I never wanted you and him to fight."

"It was bound to happen sooner or later." He said stretching his arm and wincing slightly.

"Are you okay? Do you need Advil or something? Or ice?" I asked, hands fluttering uselessly near his arm.

"No, it's already healing. Thanks though."

"Are you sure?" I asked worriedly as we walked back into his house. "I could get you…"

"Something in my own house?" he asked, glancing at me and smirking.

I rolled my eyes.

"Bella, seriously, don't worry. It's already healing. I took a good couple chunks out of him, too."

I winced slightly. All my feelings for Edward hadn't suddenly vanished when I realized my feelings for Jacob. I still felt some feelings towards him, even though I was in love with Jacob.

Edward had been my first _real _love. Even though those feelings for him had decreased immensely, I still felt some love towards him. I couldn't help it. I wished that I could say that my feelings for him had completely diminished, but that would be a lie.

"Aw Bells, I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry."

I shook off his apology. "Don't worry about it; I guess I just can't help but still have…feelings for him. Don't be sorry Jacob. There's absolutely no reason to be sorry."

He pulled me into his arms again, and it made me smile. I felt so comfortable…and warm with Jacob. Edward could never give me the warm, pure, wonderful comfort that Jacob did. I knew that I would always be welcome in Jacob's warm embrace. The difference between Edward and Jacob was insane. I would spend the rest of my life with Jacob, and I would be happy when I grew old and died.

I was meant to be with Jacob Black.


	3. Chapter 3: Home

**I know that this is kind of abrupt, but this is the last chapter of this story! I had never intended to continue it after that first chapter, but I got such a good response that I figured I would continue it. Thank you all for reading it and reviewing it : )**

Chapter 3

Five years. It had been five years since that night in Jacob's house…five years since I had seen Jacob last.

After that night, Jacob had driven me home, and just before I had left his car, he had pulled my face close to his, and kissed me as if he was drowning. The love and emotion I had felt in that kiss was nothing compared to any other kiss I had had in my life. To this day, five years after that kiss, I still thought about it. I still found myself touching my lips, remembering how Jacob's lips had felt against them.

The next day, I had called Jacob, but he hadn't answered. I called his house numerous times, but no one had answered. It was the last time that I had called, that Jacob's father had finally answered. I had asked where Jacob was, but he didn't know. Over the course of the next week, Jacob still hadn't contacted me, and he hadn't gone home yet.

His father had put up fliers around La Push, but after two months of no sign of Jacob, he had taken down the fliers. Jacob had disappeared. He was gone, and I had to accept that fact.

After I graduated from high school, I moved away and went to college for journalism. I worked for a music oriented magazine company. In fact, right now, I was getting ready to board a plane to go to LA to see a Lady Gaga concert and write a review on it. I settled into my seat in the waiting room of the airport. It would still be about an hour before I was able to board the plane.

I flipped through a magazine that was about Lady Gaga that the company had given me so I could read up on her. I knew that she was from New York originally, went to Tisch at NYU, was a classically trained pianist, and loved her fans more than anything.

Over the years I had dated a few people, but nothing too serious. I heard my phone vibrating in my purse, and I pulled it out and answered it without checking who it was who was calling.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Bella." Said a male voice. There was something slightly familiar about this voice, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"Speaking." I confirmed. "Who is this?"

"It's Jacob." He said.

My breath caught in my throat.

"Jacob Black." I whispered, as if needing him to confirm that it actually was him.

"It's me." He said quietly.

"Where have you been?" I asked. "How did you get my number?" my cell number had changed since high school.

"I've been all over the place." He said. "I called your dad…he gave it to me…I'm so sorry for what happened Bells…I was scared."

"So you ran away?" I asked.

"Where are you?" he asked abruptly. "I would rather talk about this face-to-face."

"Well, I'm about to board a plane from New York to LA."

"I'm in LA." He said immediately. "Are you arriving at LAX?"

"Yes." I whispered. My heart began to pound. After all these years, I was going to see Jacob again. Oh my god…I was going to see him again.

My hands were shaking slightly, and I could barely control my breathing.

"I'll see you in a few hours then." Jacob said.

The line went dead, and I just sat there, staring at my phone for a few minutes. How surreal to have Jacob call me out of the blue, and be in Los Angeles while I was on my way there. It was scary how coincidental and random it had been, but nonetheless, I was excited. I hadn't seen Jacob in what seemed like decades, my heart just about skipped a beat just thinking about seeing him again.

When we were finally allowed on the plane, I got into my seat and tried to get comfortable, but I was too antsy. I was bouncing around in my seat, I couldn't sit still. I felt bad for the person sitting beside me; he would have to suffer through this plane ride with me going absolutely mental.

Words cannot describe how excited I was to go and see Jacob again. It felt like I was a child, waiting for Christmas morning to come. I could feel the anticipation building deep inside my body as we took off. My fingers were shaking as they handed me a box that had what was meant to be lunch in it, but I was too excited to eat. I was nervous but I was also excited. I was excited to see Jacob again, but I was also nervous about how it would go. How would he react to seeing me? How different would he be from when we were in high school? I wasn't sure how different I was, was I the same? Had I changed drastically? What would he think about me?

I tried to take deep, calming breaths while I waited for the plane to take off. I had never enjoyed flying…now I wanted to get into the air as quickly as possible. I could feel the need bubbling inside of me, the need to see Jacob again. I had to see him…I didn't know what this little reunion would include, but just to see him again…maybe be held in his arms again…I needed that.

The plane took off, and now it was time to play an even longer waiting game. I reached into my purse and pulled out my make-up bag. I took off _all _my make-up and re-did it. I added a bit of extra eyeliner and mascara to make my eyes pop. When I was happy with the result, I put my make-up bag away, and pulled out my copy of _Wuthering Heights_ and tried to concentrate on the words on the page, but didn't get past the first five pages. My heart was literally racing in my chest, and I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to see him again.

After what seemed like days, the plane finally, _finally _started to descend to the runway, I felt my heart rate increase even more. My blood was rushing through my veins, and I could feel my heart pounding. I grabbed my purse and ran off the plane when we were allowed off. As I ran through the little hallway thing, people from the plan had caught up and were crowding around trying to leave as well.

Finally, I made it through, and looked around the terminal for Jacob. I saw him, and he began to walk towards me. I walked towards him, and we never broke eye contact. We didn't smile, we didn't burst into tears, and we just kept eye contact with one another, faces never giving away the emotions we were feeling inside.

When we got to each other, he enveloped me in his arms, and captured my lips with his.

I was home again, in Jacob's arms.


End file.
